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Air carrier flight crew descending on vectors to pit were advised by approach to hold their altitude account traffic altitude unconfirmed. Captain saw the traffic and descended the aircraft. Traffic passed overhead approximately 300'.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 112130 |
| Time | |
| Date | 198904 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : mmj |
| State Reference | PA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 6000 msl bound upper : 6800 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Dusk |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : pit |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng |
| Flight Phase | descent other |
| Route In Use | enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Make Model Name | Small Transport |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 14000 flight time type : 4000 |
| ASRS Report | 112130 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : nmac non adherence : far other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : unable |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 0 vertical : 300 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
During arrival vectors from pit approach control (very busy) during descent from 10000' to 6000'. WX was good, but very hazy, with the sun low (approximately 30 degrees) in the west and on a south heading. Copilot was flying and he had his sun visor placed to his right in the side window. I was attending to copilot duties--notifying F/a's to prepare the cabin for landing, calling company in range, etc. ATC called 'traffic at 2 O'clock,' to maintain whatever altitude we had, 'traffic indicates 6500' unverified.' I saw the traffic out the right front window right on the horizon approximately 2-3 mi. We were passing 6500'. I took the aircraft from the copilot and continued the descent to 6000'. The traffic stayed in the right front window the whole time and passed overhead at approximately 300-500'. Type small transport turbo propeller. It seemed odd for eastbound traffic to be at 6500', however when I talked to approach by phone later on the ground, they said the traffic had first been picked up by the west sector controller at 3500' climbing, just skirting the TCA at 22 mi and after it passed us continued to 7500' eastbound. In retrospect: I would like the controller to have advised us of the traffic earlier. Thank god for a good horizon and the right decision to continue descending as the traffic was climbing it opened our vertical sep. If we had followed the controller's advice to level off and hold what we had,it would have aggravated the situation. My vote is for TCAS III as soon as possible.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ACR FLT CREW DESCENDING ON VECTORS TO PIT WERE ADVISED BY APCH TO HOLD THEIR ALT ACCOUNT TRAFFIC ALT UNCONFIRMED. CAPT SAW THE TRAFFIC AND DESCENDED THE ACFT. TRAFFIC PASSED OVERHEAD APPROX 300'.
Narrative: DURING ARR VECTORS FROM PIT APCH CTL (VERY BUSY) DURING DSCNT FROM 10000' TO 6000'. WX WAS GOOD, BUT VERY HAZY, WITH THE SUN LOW (APPROX 30 DEGS) IN THE W AND ON A S HDG. COPLT WAS FLYING AND HE HAD HIS SUN VISOR PLACED TO HIS RIGHT IN THE SIDE WINDOW. I WAS ATTENDING TO COPLT DUTIES--NOTIFYING F/A'S TO PREPARE THE CABIN FOR LNDG, CALLING COMPANY IN RANGE, ETC. ATC CALLED 'TFC AT 2 O'CLOCK,' TO MAINTAIN WHATEVER ALT WE HAD, 'TFC INDICATES 6500' UNVERIFIED.' I SAW THE TFC OUT THE RIGHT FRONT WINDOW RIGHT ON THE HORIZON APPROX 2-3 MI. WE WERE PASSING 6500'. I TOOK THE ACFT FROM THE COPLT AND CONTINUED THE DSCNT TO 6000'. THE TFC STAYED IN THE RIGHT FRONT WINDOW THE WHOLE TIME AND PASSED OVERHEAD AT APPROX 300-500'. TYPE SMT TURBO PROP. IT SEEMED ODD FOR EBND TFC TO BE AT 6500', HOWEVER WHEN I TALKED TO APCH BY PHONE LATER ON THE GND, THEY SAID THE TFC HAD FIRST BEEN PICKED UP BY THE W SECTOR CTLR AT 3500' CLBING, JUST SKIRTING THE TCA AT 22 MI AND AFTER IT PASSED US CONTINUED TO 7500' EBND. IN RETROSPECT: I WOULD LIKE THE CTLR TO HAVE ADVISED US OF THE TFC EARLIER. THANK GOD FOR A GOOD HORIZON AND THE RIGHT DECISION TO CONTINUE DSNDING AS THE TFC WAS CLBING IT OPENED OUR VERT SEP. IF WE HAD FOLLOWED THE CTLR'S ADVICE TO LEVEL OFF AND HOLD WHAT WE HAD,IT WOULD HAVE AGGRAVATED THE SITUATION. MY VOTE IS FOR TCAS III ASAP.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.